Impatient with Impatiens/Impatience

Two to four days before hosting a party, I tend to kick my “gardening” into high gear. I use the quotation marks because, for me, “gardening” tends to involve chaotically going to Home Depot right before closing to buy the fullest looking plants that I can overcrowd into a pot. To this day, I have yet to read the instructions on one of the little white plastic tabs that I pull out from my petunias or impatiens. This weekend, in my annual urgent raid, I packed an orange flatbed, surrendered my credit card, and began loading up my car. A neighbor noticed me and asked, “Where are you going to plant all those flowers?” I answered, “in the pots on my deck”. He laughed and said, “You don’t have much faith they’ll take? You might want give them space to do their thing.” This conversation made me think of all the things I feel that I need to cram in during the next week or of all the places I want immediate results. I want it to look great and be abundant. But, am I giving any of these things the room or the time to grow to their fullest? Most importantly, in my relationship with the Lord, while His mercy and love “never run out and never give up,” am I giving Him the space in my life and my heart to “do His thing?” Perhaps, instead of overplanting, I might need some serious pruning. Blessings as you get your hands dirty!